The 2022 midterm elections are the most important midterm elections in American history. The reason is that many underestimated the far right-wing backlash so much that democracy is at stake now. Now, we know that a coward violently assaulted Nancy Pelosi's husband. Also, GOP candidates like Kari Lake either joked, mocked or lied about the suffering of Paul Pelosi. There are many issues being talked about during this election season like the economy, social issues, health care, crime, the environment, education, immigration, and other important issues. All 435 seas of the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be contested. 49 state and territorial gubernatorial elections including state and local elections will be contested. The future 118th United States Congress will exist as a product of the 2022 United States elections. This will be the first election affected by the restricting that followed the 2020 census. We, who are African Americans, have been scapegoated by many political leaders, but both major political parties historically have not done enough to promote our interests in many cases. Yet, the contrast is clear. The Republicans are overtly clear on wanting to cut Social Security, cut Medicare, eliminate voting rights protections, harm environmental regulations, race-bait on the issue of crime, promote more tax cuts for the super-wealthy (many large corporations don't pay any income taxes), and suppress basic human rights from women and other minorities. So, the choice is clear. We must vote, and we will vote. The GOP candidates are heavily made up of far-right extremists, election denialists, and overtly racist, sexist people.
In America, everything isn't perfect. We have gas price fluctuations, higher inflation, and other economic issues. Yet, the Biden administration did pass laws that helped to cut childhood poverty in half, growing investments, and negotiate fairer drug prices for those who need medicines. The economy now is in better shape than in 2020 with the peak of the global, destructive pandemic. The unemployment rate is still less than 4 percent. Democracy is clearly under threat. The Supreme Court has passed many reactionary decisions during the past summer. Some GOP candidates want to change the laws involving election procedures, so the GOP can gain more political power in slick ways. Also, we have hypocrites like Herschel Walker claiming to be against abortion but sources from women say that he paid them money to have abortions. Walker's opponent is Rev. Warnock. Georgia is one major epicenter of the political arena along with Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams running for the Governor of Georgia. Kari Lake is running for Governor of Arizona. She is so extreme that she went from supporting Barack Obama in 2008 to being a pro-Trump extremist in 2022. Arizona going for Joe Biden angered many MAGA Republicans.
In Pennsylvania, there is the Governor candidate Shapiro trying to promote more progressive policies. Fetterman is running for the Senate. Many people in Pittsburgh have praised him as a decent man. Also, Oz is running against Fetterman. Oz, now, is trying to be a moderate, but he supports Donald Trump and believes in many extreme views. Donald Trump continues to lie in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Saturday (in 11/5/2022) to say that the 2020 election was stolen (and Trump said that Democrats hate America which is a lie). We live in a time when security has to be placed to protect election workers nationwide.
Later, Michael Jordan started his 2nd season in the NBA from 1985-1986. The shoes that he wore during the August 1985 Trieste exhibition game sold for $615,000, a record for a pair of sneakers in August 2020. The 1985-1986 season was cut short, because Michael Jordan broke his foot in the third game of the year. He missed 64 games. The Bulls made the playoffs despite Jordan's injury and a 30-52 record. That was the 5th worth record of any team to qualify for the playoffs in NBA history during that time period. Michael Jordan recovered in time to participate in the postseason. Against a Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2, but the Celtics managed to sweep the series.
Jordan completely recovered in time for the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history; he became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league-high 37.1 ppg on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year but were again swept by the Celtics.
Jordan again led the league in scoring during the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting, and he won his first league MVP Award. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as he averaged 1.6 blocks per game (bpg), a league-high 3.1 steals per game (spg), and led the Bulls defense to the fewest points per game allowed in the league. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bulls lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys."
In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 apg. During the season, Sam Vincent, Chicago's point guard, was having trouble running the offense, and Jordan expressed his frustration with head coach Doug Collins, who would put Jordan at point guard. In his time as a point guard, Jordan averaged 10 triple-doubles in eleven games, with 33.6 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 10.8 apg, 2.9 spg, and 0.8 bpg on 51% shooting.
The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in the fifth and final game of the series. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.
The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. On March 28, 1990, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points in a 117–113 road win over the Cavaliers. He averaged a league-leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg, in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers; despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season
The culture of San Diego is very much diverse. It is heavily influenced by cultures from Mexican culture, African American culture, Asian American culture, Western culture, and other forms of culture. One major part of San Diego's culture is about the U.S. military. Many people from all across America have worked in the military system in San Diego. Tourism is one large part of the city too. Many tourist attractions in the city include: SeaWorld, Aquatica San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Belmont Park, Balboa Park, and nearby Legoland. San Diego's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Mission San Diego de Alcala, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, but there is an abundance of wood-fired California-style pizzas and Mexican and East Asian cuisine. Annual events in San Diego include Comic-Con, the San Diego/Del Mar Fair, San Diego Pride, Street Scene Music Festival, etc. San Diego has been a military town for more than 100 years. Present-day reflections of that tradition include tributes to military history such as the USS Midway Museum and Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, as well as numerous smaller memorials throughout the city. Annual events celebrating the military include Fleet Week and the Miramar Air Show. Because of its ethnic and cultural mix, San Diego has a wide range of cuisines. One can find Mexican, Italian, French, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Greek, Latin, German, Indian, Central and East Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander food throughout the city. In addition, there are numerous seafood restaurants and steakhouses. The city's long history and close proximity to Mexico have endowed the area with an extensive variety of authentic Mexican restaurants. Regional homemade specialties, border fare, and haute cuisine are all readily available. There are foods like fish tacos, enchiladas, California-style pizza, Southeast Asian specialties of all kinds, seafood, local wines, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. Breweries are very commonplace. The arts are strong with many art museums like the San Diego Museum of Art, the Timken Gallery, the Mingei International Museum featuring folk art, the Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Museum of the Living Artist are located in Balboa Park. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is located in an oceanfront building in La Jolla and has a branch located at the Santa Fe Depot downtown. Music is found in the city with many artists. Southeast San Diego has a large African American cultural base too.
On Ancestry.com, on my paternal side, DNA results found out that I am related to a woman named Coffina Bontivia Harmon (b. 1979), who is my 4th cousin. We share the same ancestors as George and Esther Perkins. To start, Coffina Harmon was born on March 27, 1979, in Queens, New York City. She once married Daryle Dwayne Watson (b. 1980) on March 28, 2006, in Tarrant, Texas. Her father is part of the Harmon family, and his mother was the late Juilet Judy Hye (who passed away in 1994). Her father's parents were Henry L. Harmon (b. 1918), and Julia May Savage (1926-2008). The later Julia May Savage had 11 children, 31 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and five great great grandchilden. Julia May Savage was my 2nd cousin. Her parents were George Savage (b. 1887) and Corinthia Upshur (b. 1897). Corinthia Upshur's parents were Henry Upshur (1858-1940) and Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). My 3rd great grandaunt Caroline Upshur's parents were George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816). These parents are my 4th great grandparents who were from Virginia. Therefore, these human beings migrated from Virginia to New York City over the course of over 100 years. It is important to note by Coffina Harmon is related to my 4th cousins of Theadocia Boney (b. 1969), Charles Boney Jr. (b. 1970), Kevin Boney (1972-2012), and Nicole J. Boney (b. 1974). These human beings are sons and daughters of Charles Boney Sr. (1941-2000) and Rosalie Harmon (b. 1948). Rosalie Harmon is the aunt of Coffine Harmon.
For over 20 years, fitness expert Dr. Laura J. Bailey (born in 1977 at Battle Creek, Michigan) has helped tons of people involving exercise culture. She loves track culture, as she is a naturally gifted athlete. During his collegiate track and field career, she was an expert cross-country runner. She loves California as she has been to Muscle Beach and Venice Beach. Laura Bailey has done bodybuilding in physique, volleyball, hurdling in track, soccer, gymnastics, and dance. Ever since she was 14 years old, her volleyball coach told her to work out. She coached track in 2004. While in college, she studied psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Laura Bailey loves to promote education. She loves to write and praise the Lord. There is nothing wrong with that. Laura Bailey is a fan of the Arizona Cardinals. To this day, she loves her family and the greatness of true fitness culture.
As we know, both men and women have testosterone. Now, we have to look at the elephant in the room. Testosterone levels will peak at the teenage years. When men reach their mid to late thirties, testosterone levels started to decline. A person having healthy testosterone levels will depend on a person's age, genetics, and lifestyle. Anyone having symptoms of abnormally low testosterone levels should get a physician to test their T levels. Testosterone deals with many functions like helping control fat levels, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Testosterone declines at a rate of one to two percent per year when a person reaches his mid-thirties. “To determine what’s a good T level for your age, you also need to look at the clinical picture,” says Danielle McDevitt, M.D., a physician who specializes in hormones.
“By that, I mean how you, the patient, are feeling. Younger patients who have a sedentary lifestyle, who aren’t athletic and out running marathons; they don’t need a high level of testosterone. But if you’re 50 and doing triathlons, you’ll need higher levels.” All men need healthy, adequate levels of testosterone to control lipids, cholesterol, and glucose. Testosterone protects the bones from osteoporosis, it keeps bones strong, it can help the brain against dementia, and it fights memory loss. A person thinking more clearly or sharp can have a good testosterone range. Hormone levels decline as we age. That is why when you get older, you have to watch for diabetes and cholesterol levels.
Testosterone is measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). At its peak, during your teen years, your testosterone should be anywhere between 300 and 1,200 ng/dL. When you’re entering your mid-thirties, you’ll start to see it declining by at least one percent per year.
“After 35 years old, we see hormones start to drop,” says McDevitt.
“But we are now seeing a lot of young patients with low T, which is due to environmental factors, like more plastic leaching PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) into your body where these elements resemble estrogen, but also teens don’t get enough sleep, they have more stress. Many military patients, with a rougher lifestyle, their T drops faster than normal aging.” On the other hand, McDevitt says she has patients who live a healthy lifestyle in their fifties who have the testosterone levels of a man in his thirties. Clinically, hypogonadism, or low testosterone, is defined as having a level of 200 ng/dL for two readings (a threshold often used by insurance companies to determine whether treatment could be covered). However, McDevitt says you’ll want to be around 300 ng/dL. “500 can be a good T level for people with a sedentary lifestyle, because they don’t require tons of T,” says McDevitt. “But if you’re very athletic, you’ll need more than 500 ng/dL,” she says. The average man being 70 years old with has testosterone production that is 30 percent below his peak. Symptoms of low T include feeling irritable, having trouble focusing or concentrating, losing muscle mass, having trouble sleeping, some hair loss, having the lax ability to have stamina, weight gain, and lower libido. Too much testosterone can also cause hypertension or high blood pressure. It’ll cause the red blood cells to overproduce which can, in turn, create a clot in your blood vessels. You want smooth blood flow, so an increase in red blood cells could easily cause stagnation. A professional healthcare doctor can properly diagnose low testosterone. Many products that claim to boost T levels have unnecessarily high levels of zinc and B3. Therefore, anyone with low T should go to a healthcare professional to get safe, evidence-based treatments.
In addition to these, having too-high testosterone levels (which is about 1,000 to 1,500 ng/dL) put you at risk for cancer, cardiac complications (like many bodybuilders use doping harming the heart and muscle ligaments), and irritability. According to Jillian Kubala, MS. RD, foods that may help boost testosterone are: fatty fish, dark, leafy greens, cocoa products, avocados, eggs, berries, cherries, pomegranates, shellfish, etc. Exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, being more physically active, no smoking, no drug use, etc. can improve testosterone levels too.
Prostate cancer is a serious problem with men and anyone in general. In America, black men are half as likely to die of prostate cancer today as a few decades ago. Yet, there are racial disparities when it comes to early detection, treatment, and death. Medical authorities now recommend that all men (regardless of color) get tested for prostate cancer by the age of 45 years old. Prostate cancer makes up about 37 percent of all cancers in black men. About 1 in 6 will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in life. It's deadlier for black men too. This situation has been blamed on racial bias and discrimination. Structural racism is found in jobs, housing, medical, and access to healthy food too. Many black men lack treatment, have lower rates of prostate cancer screenings, and have lower quality care. While 13% of the population is Black, only 5% of the workforce includes Black doctors. And only 2% of urologists are Black. Urologists are specialists who often diagnose and treat prostate cancer. Like with all cancers, healthy eating, no smoking, and early detection can decrease the chances of anyone getting cancer. Still, genetics does play a role in a person getting cancer too. To lower the chances of prostate cancer, people can exercise at least 150 minutes a week to get the heart rate up, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI), limit red meat, limit alcohol intake, and limit highly processed foods. Plus, no smoking.
By Timothy
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